As Advent draws near to its end, it is harder and harder to
avoid thinking it is only about Christmas. Christmas is exceptionally important
but, to understand it fully, we need to remind ourselves that Christmas is
important because of what it begins. Jesus was not born in order to invent
Christmas. Jesus was born to do much more important things than that!
Traditionally, on the last days of Advent, at the service of Vespers, a series
of special texts were added to the beginning and end of the Magnificat,
the Song of Mary, which is sung every day at Vespers, or Evening Prayer. Each of
these texts, called "antiphons", begins with the word "O", so they came to be
known as the "Great O Antiphons". They also inspired the familiar hymn, "O come,
O come, Emmanuel." (This page opens with the music of the hymn, as found on
the website of the
Internet
Renaissance Band.)

We offer here another way of using the Great Oís. One may use
as much or as little of this devotion as is appropriate. It could be used at any
time of day, but the beginning or the end of a meal is suggested. The simplest
use would be to say the antiphon, or to sing the verse of the hymn. Then, say
the Lordís Prayer and conclude the devotion with a prayer appropriate for the
season. If the devotion is used before a meal, the usual mealtime grace would be
said in place of, or in addition to, the seasonal prayer.

For those who would like something more elaborate, additions
could include the Magnificat and a reading from Scripture, and a time to
meditate on and/or discuss the antiphon and the reading. In households with
children, someone might give a very short explanation of the antiphon and
reading. Our friends at Project Canterbury have among their resources an
article on the "The
Advent Antiphons" by the third Bishop of Vermont, A.C.A. Hall. Bishop
Hall's article includes scriptural references and meditative paraphrases. There
are lots of possibilities for using this devotion to enrich the observance of
the last days of Advent. This is a resource, not a commandment. So, adapt it to
your personal situation. Please note that in England there was one more antiphon
than in Rome. Since we follow the English use, our Great O Antiphons begin on
December 16th.

The English text of the antiphons provided here is adapted
from various sources, with reference to the original Latin. The text of
the hymn, "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is the version found in The Hymnal 1940,
"based on Latin, c. 9th cent.; St. 1,3,4,5,6, pub. Cologne, 1710."
We provide a newly composed verse to correspond with the English antiphon for
December 23rd.

The Devotion

The Antiphon

December 16th -O SapientiaO Wisdom, who didst issue out of the
mouth of the most High, and dost reach from one end of the world to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.

or
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

December 17th
-O AdonaiO Lord and Ruler of the house of
Israel, who didst appear to Moses in a burning bush, and didst give him the law
on Sinai: Come and deliver us with an outstretched arm.

or
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.Refrain

December 18th
-O Radix JesseO Root of Jesse, who standest for an
ensign to the peoples, at whom kings shall shut their mouths, and to whom the
Gentiles shall pray: Come and deliver us, and do not delay.

or
O come, thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
From every foe deliver them
That trust thy mighty power to save,
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.Refrain

December 19th
- O Clavis DavidO Key of David, and Scepter of the
house of Israel; who openest and no one shutteth, who shuttest and no one
openeth: come and bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, from the prison those
who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

or
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.Refrain

December 20th
- O OriensO Day-Spring, radiant everlasting
Light, and Sun of Righteousness: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness
and the shadow of death.

or
O come, thou Day-spring from on high,
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadow put to flight.Refrain

December 21st
- O Rex gentiumO King of the Nations, and their
Desire; the Cornerstone who dost unite the divided into one: Come and save
mankind, whom thou didst create out of clay.

or
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid thou our sad divisions cease,
And be thyself our King of Peace.Refrain

December 22nd
- O EmmanuelO Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,
the One whom the Gentiles expect, and their Salvation: Come and save us, O Lord
our God.

or
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.Refrain

December 23rd
- O Virgo virginumO Virgin of virgins, how shall this
be? for neither was there any like thee before thee, nor shall there be after:
Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel at me? the thing which ye behold is a divine
mystery.

or
O glorious Virgin, Salem quakes.
What news is this that Gabriel breaks?
Behold, the sacred mystery:
For God himself takes flesh in thee.1
Refrain

The Magnificat

(if this is said or sung,
the antiphon is said or sung both before and after the canticle)]

My soul doth magnify the Lord, *
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded *
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth *
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, *
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him *
throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; *
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, *
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, *
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed
for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Scripture Reading

December 16th: Ecclesiasticus
24:1-8 or Proverbs 8:1,22-32

December 17th: Isaiah 43:1-7

December 18th: Isaiah 11:1-9

December 19th: Isaiah 22:20-24

December 20th: Isaiah 42:1-7

December 21st: Isaiah 45:8-13

December 22nd: Isaiah 33:20-22
and Isaiah 7:14

December 23rd: Luke 1:26-38

The Lordís Prayer

The Collect for the Last Sunday of Advent

We beseech thee, Almighty God, to
purify our consciences by thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord
cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Grace before a Meal

Click here
for a printable version of The Advent Devotion in PDF format